Title, text, and callouts

The text of your ad must clearly state what your product or service is.

Comparatives or superlatives can only be used in your ad text or callouts if your website contains an independent expert statement that your product or service is superior to others. If no such statements are available, do not use words in the superlative form.

If you are advertising a news resource, your ad text must clearly indicate that the link leads to a news media site. Use phrases like “see more” and “details at” to convey this. The ad text should relate to the title and contents of the news article, indicate the news source, and link to the page where the full version of the article is published.

Ad titles, texts, and callouts must not contain:

Slang, rude words, or colloquial expressions

False information (knowingly misleading promises and statements)

Aggressive provocations or calls to commit violence

Repetition of the same words or phrases

Contact information (for example, phone numbers, email addresses)

Words or phrases in foreign languages (except for brands and trademarks)

Keywords

Keywords must be directly related to the ad content.

Avoid general keywords that do not precisely describe your product or service, e.g.: buy, apartment, discount. Replace them with phrases that relate directly to the subject of your ad: buy discount carseat, buy apartment in the center of Moscow and so on.

Ads for products or services that are “adult-only” or could “disturb” viewers can only be served when users enter very specific search queries that indicate they want to view such ads. For example, if you are advertising erotic lingerie, you can not use more general keywords, such as underwear.

vCard

An ad's vCard should contain a contact phone number. Make sure the phone number is valid. Moderators may call during working hours.

You can add a contact person's name and detailed information about your product or service. vCard texts are subject to the same requirements as ad texts.

In case of online sales (if you have no retail points of sale), specify the organization's name, its OGRN (main state registration number for legal entities), or OGRNIP (main state registration number for individual entrepreneurs).

Images and icons for mobile apps

Logos, watermarks, and text on the image should not take up more than 20% of the entire image. Written material found on the product packaging, in app screenshots, or in image ads is the exception to this rule.

Attention. We don't recommend putting text, watermarks, or logos directly on images. According to statistics, the CTR for ads with these types of images decreases by 10%.

Interface elements must lead to the site or launch the application. This may be a button with text like “More”, “Order”, or “Purchase”. Do not add interface elements that can mislead the user or do not do what they are supposed to, such as buttons that look like they play videos or close windows.

Images should not contain the following:

Your competitors products or logos (in order to, for example compare the quality of products).

Goods and services that can not legally be advertised or whose advertisement is restricted (weapons, alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances, tobacco products, smoking accessories, gambling, etc.)

Contact information.

Design elements from Yandex webpages.

Empty areas or a single color that takes up more than 20% of the whole image.

Logos, watermarks, and text that occupy more than 20% of the entire image.

You can use an image of a product that resembles a weapon if it is clear that the advertised product is not actually a weapon.

You can not use images in ads for funeral services or adult-only products. Images with an erotic or sexual subtext may not be accepted, as well as images whose meaning is ambiguous or that may shock the user or provoke a negative response.

The app icon in ads for mobile apps must not contain images or text referring to products and services that are prohibited or restricted from being advertised by the laws of the Russian Federation (weapons, alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances, tobacco products, smoking accessories, gambling, etc.).

Creatives, HTML5 banners, and search banners

Requirements for the creative in image ads, display campaigns, and search banners differ from those for other types of images. Notably, you can use your logo and contact information.

All information required by legislation and Yandex's Ad Serving Rules must be included in the creative or banner, including age restrictions and warnings. The information must be clearly visible and easy to read.

Creative and banners must have visible borders and an opaque background. The border color must not match the background color. Images and graphic elements should not be deformed, contain compression artifacts, or be obfuscated.

The text and the advertiser's website must meet the same requirements that apply to all other ads served on Yandex.Direct.

The text should appear on the creative or banner itself, and the text's color should contrast against the background and be easily readable (please avoid overly bright colors).

You cannot use rapid animations, flickering graphic elements, or a flashing background when using GIFs or HTML5 for your creative. The time it takes to switch between frames of animation should be sufficient to read all of the text shown on that frame.

Interface elements must lead to the site or launch the app. This may be a button with text like “More”, “Order”, or “Purchase”. Do not add interface elements that can mislead the user or do not do what they are supposed to, such as buttons that look like they play videos or close windows.

The advertised site must open in a new window (and only open after a user clicks on the HTML5 banner).

HTML5 banners should display correctly and work the same way for all users on all platforms over the entire duration of the ad campaign in the following browsers: Yandex.Browser 14 and above, Google Chrome 14 and higher, Mozilla Firefox 14 and higher, Opera 14 and higher, Internet Explorer 9 and higher, and Microsoft Edge.

In HTML5, you can't use video or audio clips, script behavior that is annoying or malicious (for example scripts that launch pop-ups, spoof IP addresses, etc.), browser extensions or plugins (Adobe Flash, etc.). The banner source code should not be obfuscated.

HTML5 banners must meet processor utilization requirements.

Processor utilization requirements

A computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo P9600 2.53 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, 64-800 MB of video memory, and a 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional is used to test processor utilization. A page containing only a test banner is loaded on it. When the system is tested this way, the banner shouldn't utilize more than 50% of the CPUs over a measurable time period (a fraction of a second) or more than 70% of the CPUs at any given moment. A standard “Task manager” is used to measure processor utilization.

Video extensions

You can upload your own background video clips into Ad builder or video extensions. Your video clips should be high quality and clear with no compression artifacts. You cannot use rapid animations, flickering graphic elements, or a flashing background for your video clip animation. Videos should not contain the following:

Interface elements that can mislead the user or do not do what they are supposed to

Images that don't reflect the ad text or content of the landing page

Images that send a vague message, are shocking, or provoke a negative response

Realistic-looking images of illnesses, medical procedures/operations, or acts of war

Check the audio to ensure the following:

Speech should be grammatically correct and easy to understand, and the audio should be free of background noise and harsh or excessively loud sounds

Audio should match the title, ad text, and content of the landing page

Audio should be in sync with the video clip

Don't use sounds that imitate traffic (sirens, horns, screeching brakes, etc.) because this may present a danger to those in traffic

Attention.

The full list of advertising rules and requirements can be found in the following documents: